Stenciling 101

Lesson 3: Using Multiple Overlay Stencils

As you saw last lesson, you can create some beautiful effects even using a single overlay stencil. If you're brave enough to attempt a bit of hand painting, you can often create a somewhat hand painted effect, although because of the nature of a stencil – reproducing the same element identically every time, there are clues to your work's real origins. But, as we see with the one overlay fairy stencil pictured here, you still end up with gaps.

Multiple overlay stencils eliminate the need for filling in gaps and bridges. The overlays are cut in such a way that each fills in spaces and bridges that were necessary in the initial overlay. For example, you can see many leaf stencils in your book. Most of these have bridges down the center of each leaf – usually much wider than is normal for a leaf's center vein. There is usually also a bridge between the leaf and the branch to which it is attached.

With a second overlay, the stencil designer can supply those missing portions. Your second overlay may be just that – the leaf's center veins and those areas that attach leaf to branch. It may be more elaborate and also supply delicate veining over the entire leaf. It might also introduce a flower. If so, the flower will have bridges and there will be a third overlay that will let you stencil in those gaps. You can see the difference between the three overlay fairy stencil at the top of this lesson and the one depicted below it. It's done with overlays (and some nice work with shading).

This not only gives you a finished painting with no telltale bridges, but allows you to stencil somewhat fearlessly, as even if you need more than one color per overlay (brown for branch, dark green for leaf veins and a flower color) they will be fairly well separated on the overlay so that there is little danger of hitting the wrong opening with the wrong color. This eliminates the need for all that tedious masking that is so often needed with single overlay stencils.

All of the techniques that we practiced in lesson 2 still apply here, but there are some further refinements that you will need to know in order to make the most of these more complicated stencils. Let's examine them.

Different Types of Overlay Stencils

Actually, there are two types of multiple overlay stencils.

Traditional Multiple Overlay or Theorem Stencils The stencil shown here is made with a theorem or multiple overlay stencil. With this two overlay leaf stencil you have one overlay for the background leaf shapes and another with more leaf shapes (those designed to appear in the background) and the detail veining that gives the finsihed stencil its their realism. Theorem stencils are mainly used to eliminate bridges. These tend to come as several overlays each cut out from different sheets of Mylar. Each overlay has registration marks that allow you to layer them precisely so that everything fits together perfectly. Actually, most of these are created using clear stencil film, so that you can also eyeball the placement – so you have double protection against making a mistake. But if you are working on a project where you reuse the same stencil several times it tends to get covered with enough paint that it may as well be opaque. You can either wash it after ever use to take advantage of the see-through film (which may slow your progress on a large project considerably), or learn to trust your registration marks. If you're in a hurry you'll learn to trust the marks, because you won't want to be stenciling with a wet stencil.

The most common mistake people make with overlays is neglecting to notice which the part of the stencil is the front and which is the back. If you inadvertently flip an overlay and try to position it with the back facing you, the stencil simply won't fit. You may manage to align the registration marks (not very satisfactorily) but you will still not have a pattern that makes sense. Some stencils come with a number or words cut into them that allows you to see which side was meant to be the front. Paying attention to this can save you a lot of grief. If your stencils don't have this feature, get a permanent marker and mark them yourself.

There are a few companies who put their overlays all on a single sheet, with each overlay numbered so that you know which to do first, second, etc. Because these are less expensive to produce, they are generally less expensive than the multiple sheet variety. But because all the elements must fit on a single sheet, the finished products tend to be pretty small.

Freeform Stencils There is another, less common type of multiple overlay stencil which is called a "freeform" stencil. This type will give you several elements – say four sizes of leaves and three types of branches and a trunk. Or look at the one illustrated here, made up of several different palm fronds. You position them as you like in order to create a palm plant. How large and wide and dense is up to you.

It's up to you how you want to put these together, or even if you want to use all the elements. And since this is freeform, the stencils do not use registration marks. They are clear, so that you can see how you are positioning things. Often you will need to overlap the elements because they do not fit precisely together. This may sound intimidating, but actually it's not. Since no one including the stencil designer ever expected the elements to fit together precisely, you have more leeway with a freeform stencil than the typical multiple overlay type. And because you get to determine which elements to use and how to position them, you can produce a stenciled image that is quite different that that of someone else using the same stencil.

Take a look at these two trees done with the same freeform stencils. The first is in my own home, where I had a large space to fill. Because of this I created a tree that was both tall and wide. The other stenciler had a much narrower space but was still able to fill it – she just created a narrower tree. Note: This is an advanced type of stenciling depicted here - not only freeform but executed in plaster rather than paint. We'll take a look at that in an advanced stenciling course later. But if you want a better look and a bit more information now about these see the Project Page at Victoria Larsen Designs

Outline and Mask Stencils Some stencils require that you use two elements, but they are not separate overlays. Instead, the stencil consists of one sheet from which you will remove an outline and a "mask" – the central portion of the object to be stenciled. To use this type you first remove both sections and stencil the entire blank area with the color you want the center of the piece to be. Then replace the entire stencil so that it is exactly covering the stenciling you have done. Then remove the outline, leaving only the central mask in position. Stencil the outline that remains. The mask will protect the central portion and you are left with a perfectly outlined design. While these types of stencils aren't very common, you may encounter them – or, in time, you may find yourself making some of your own. They work well for primitive style stencils, and, if the outline portion of the stencil is fairly slender, you get a stencil design reminiscent of the Arts & Crafts movement style.

Masks are also helpful in shading. A thin area of a dark color at the edge of your stenciling design, blending into the main area, gives it more definition and adds realism. I used a mask with the rabbit stencil here, just to create a precise, deeper brown line down his back, which made it look infinitely more realistic than it did before.

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